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Can the twenty years—between the end of ideologies in the year 1989 and the crises of democratic capitalism in the year 2009—be seen as a historical phase of global importance?

1989 is a key year in the history of the 20th century. The fall of the Berlin Wall was not the only caesura of worldwide significance—on all continents of the globe there were radical changes with lasting reverberations that continue up until today. This volume draws our attention to the global importance of these events and developments: the massacre at Tiananmen Square in China, the death of Khomeni in Iran, the withdrawal of soviet troops from Afghanistan and its repercussions throughout central Asia, the end of the dictatorships and the establishment of neo-liberalism in Latin America, the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, the independence of Namibia and the end of apartheid in South Africa. In view of these highlights, we are encouraged to move our attention away from Europe and consider the interconnections of events beyond national boundaries.